The present invention relates generally to a glide of the type that is mounted for slidable movement along a drapery rod track or the like. More particularly, it relates to a drapery hook support glide used on tracks typically located in the rear of a drapery rod such as a traverse rod for supporting the drapery along the top hem or heading thereof.
When hanging a drapery using hooks that are mounted on slidable glides, it frequently occurs that either a glide is missing or inconveniently located or excess glides are present along the length of the drapery. In such situations, it is typically necessary or desirable either to add or remove glides from the track. To do so usually requires that the drapery be taken down since the glides must be unfastened from the drapery and passed through the end of the rod to be removed from or added to the track. Additionally, traverse rods in use today frequently contain means on the rod to prevent the glides from accidentally falling out of the end of the rod thereby making the addition or subtraction of a glide from the traverse rod a substantial and sometimes, frustrating problem.
Although some glide structures have been found in the prior art which permit the insertion and removal of a glide at an intermediate point along the length of the rod, these structures typically have required that the glide be tilted toward the wall and held in that tilted position as the user attempts to hook the retaining head of the glide onto the track. Such structures can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,872,696 and 3,199,142. Since the track usually is located in the rear of the rod and the narrow space between the rod and the wall prevents easy viewing of the track and glide head, the tilting manipulation of the glide toward the wall further restricts the usuable space making it even more difficult to hook the retaining head or button of the glide within the track. Additionally, in structures such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,142, the glide is free to swing from side to side as the drapery is moved longitudinally along the traverse rod permitting the glides to jam within the track.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a substantially simplified design for a drapery hook support glide that can be easily and rapidly mounted on the track of a traverse rod or the like at any location along the length of the rod. Included in this object is the provision for a glide that need not be tilted toward the wall in order to insert the button or head portion thereof within the track and permits mounting of the glide even when the traverse rod is located in a position very close to the wall.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved glide of the type described that prevents the glide from swaying substantially from side to side and resists movement to a position that would permit accidental release of the glide from the traverse rod. Included in this object is the provision for a glide of the type described that not only prevents accidental release but, at the same time, permits rapid and facile mounting and dismounting of the glide from the track intermediate the ends of the rod, in a simple and efficient manner.
Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.
These and related objects are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing a drapery hook support glide of the type described wherein the rod engaging head portion of the glide is of an elongated configuration, that is, it is provided with a longitudinal dimension that is greater than the width of the track slot to assure retentive engagement of the head with the interior of the rod when the body portion of the glide is in a vertical position yet at the same time is provided with a transverse dimension that is less than the width of the track slot to permit easy passage of the head therethrough when the body portion of the glide is in a horizontal position. Additionally, the neck portion of the glide that connects the head to the body portion is provided with interference means for engaging the track upon movement of the body portion out of the vertical position. Such means resist inadvertent movement of the glide into the horizontal position that permits removal of the glide and thereby prevents accidental release of the glide from the rod. The interference means also provides a limitation on the side to side swinging action of the glide; however, the interference means is such that it permits rapid mounting of the glide on the track intermediate the ends of the rod when the body portion of the glide is in its horizontal position.
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of illustrative applications of the invention.